AFC Totton
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH - Matchday#5
Saturday 26 August 2023 | Snows Stadium, Totton | Att: 971
BURROWS BAGS THREE AS STAGS COME OUT ON TOP IN EIGHT-GOAL THRILLER
AFC TOTTON 5
Scott Rendell 7mins (pen); Alfie Stanley 40mins;
Matty Burrows 41mins, 72mins, 90+5mins
HANWELL TOWN 3
Samuel Evans 24mins, 57mins;
Elliot Benyon 90+2mins
THEY MADE HARD WORK of it but AFC Totton claimed their fourth win in five league games with a five-three home win over Hanwell Town at the Snows Stadium, yesterday (Saturday 26 August 2023).
Scott Rendell opened the scoring from the penalty spot. Samuel Evans equalised for The Geordies, before Totton had a second spot-kick saved from Leon Maloney. But two goals in a minute from Alfie Stanley and Matty Burrows handed The Stags a 3-1 half-time lead. Evans reduced the deficit with his second strike on 57mins, but substitute Ethan Taylor carved open the opportunity for Burrows to restore the two-goal advantage at 4-2. Elliot Benyon raised Hanwell hopes of stealing a point with a close-range header two minutes into stoppage time, but more excellent wing play from Taylor enabled Burrows to complete his hat-trick and win it for Totton.
Ben Winterburn, the teenager on loan from AFC Bournemouth, was given his full AFC Totton debut in midfield, having featured as a sub in the 6-0 win at Winchester City last weekend. And Alfie Stanley came in for his second Stags start in place of Jake Scrimshaw. New signing Jordan Helliwell, who has played in the Championship and League One for Barnsley, was named on the subs’ bench along with the returning Charlie Davis.
AFC TOTTON
Starting XI
1. Lewis NOICE
2. Benny READ
15. Sam MAGRI
6. Luke HALLETT
3. Jordan RAGGUETTE
5. Charlie KENNEDY
14. Ben WINTERBURN
17. Leon MALONEY
11. Matty BURROWS
9. Scott RENDELL (Capt.)
16. Alfie STANLEY
Substitutes
7. Charlie DAVIS
10. Ethan TAYLOR
18. Jake SCRIMSHAW
19. Keane ANDERSON
20. Jordan HELLIWELL
Despite their Newcastle United roots, The Geordies took to the pitch wearing a black-and-white shirt more reminiscent of an 1980s-era Notts County kit. They mounted an early attack from their left wing, which was stabbed away by Jordan Ragguette who then had to react fast to charge down a follow-up shot from just inside the area, at the expense of a corner on the Hanwell right. Luke Hallett headed the cross clear and, when the visitors tried to launch another attack down their inside-left, it was Hallett who got across to make the sliding tackle to prevent the winger getting in behind Benny Read.
A Scott Rendell flick-on enabled Leon Maloney and Ragguette to combine in the left-wing corner, but Hanwell defended well enough to prevent a meaningful delivery into the danger area. But, with seven minutes on the clock, Ragguette received Magri’s pass out of defence close to the left-wing touchline and he clipped a beautifully-weighted pass into the path of Alfie Stanley, who made a short diagonal run to steal in behind the centre-back. Appeals for offside were answered by the Assistant Referee’s body language, keeping his flag firmly at his side as he tried to match Stanley’s pace, as the striker went one-on-one with goalkeeper George Legg. Stanley tried to shift the ball infield and as he did so, Legg hooked his foot to leave the Referee pointing to the penalty spot. Scott RENDELL tucked it away to give Totton an early lead.
Charlie Kennedy’s header released Matty Burrows down the right wing. Left-back George Tanner struggled to keep up and Burrows sent in a low cross that Maloney tried to flick in from close range, but he couldn’t connect as the ball flashed across goal. Then, from another Burrows pull-back from the right, Stanley and Winterburn both went for it and collided with a defender, to Hanwell’s relief.
Stanley was involved again on the quarter-hour, drifting in from the left flank to shoot from the edge of the area, but his shot was blocked.
Hanwell were forced into an early substitution when Mathew MacKenzie had to be replaced by Herson Rodrigues Alves. When play resumed, Samuel Evans found a pocket of space on the right-hand side but his cross was turned away by Ragguette. And the Totton left-back created the next chance for the home side, sweeping the ball up the left flank to play Stanley in for a first-time shot that was deflected over to the right-hand side. Burrows crossed high and Rendell’s header was deflected wide for a corner on the right. Maloney took it and Hallett connected with a firm header but it was a foot too high.
Hallett was back in defence heading clear from a deep Hanwell free-kick in the 23rd minute. But The Geordies pulled level a minute later. Totton were in possession near the intersection of the halfway line and the left-wing touchline when Rendell tried to play a short pass to Ragguette. But he under-hit it. Ragguette tried to reach for the ball but was beaten to it and Hanwell were immediately able to exploit the space in behind him, with the substitute Alves flicking the ball infield to set-up Samuel EVANS to strike high into the goal from the inside-right position.
Totton were straight back on the attack, with Ragguette’s left-wing cross headed away. Play then had to be stopped while the Referee dealt with a complaint from the Hanwell dug-out, which resulted in somebody on the bench being shown the yellow card. Full-back Isaac Olorunfemi followed him into the book for pushing Matty Burrows on the half-hour mark. From the free-kick, Maloney floated the ball into the penalty area and Scott Rendell headed against the crossbar.
Maloney and Stanley worked their way through the middle and into the Hanwell box. Maloney squared to Stanley, who was surrounded by defenders and couldn’t sort his feet out quickly enough to get his shot away. Then, Rendell knocked the ball down to Ben Winterburn in midfield, who spread the play to Ragguette on the left. He whipped in a dangerous cross that was hooked out before Rendell could convert.
Ragguette created another half-chance for Stanley, whose shot was deflected wide for a corner. The delivery was too long but Read retrieved the ball on the far side and slipped it to Burrows, who went past his man at the right-wing byline before being tripped to earn a second AFC Totton penalty. Daniel Carr was booked for the foul, and Leon Maloney stepped up to take the penalty. His effort was well-struck but George Legg got both of his forearms behind it to make a smart diving save. In the ensuing melee, Totton won a corner on the left, but they couldn’t capitalise.
Read and Kennedy worked the ball forward for Burrows down the Totton right, and the young winger cut infield and tried a left-footed shot which was charged down and almost fell kindly for Rendell, but just beyond his reach.
OFF THE MARK: Alfie Stanley (blue shirt, closest to the camera) opened his competitive goalscoring account for AFC Totton in the 5-2 home win over Hanwell Town.
Totton were back in front on 40 minutes when a flowing passing move brought possession to Benny Read in an advanced position on the right-wing touchline. Burrows’ made a run out wide which dragged one of the defenders across and opened space for Leon Maloney to receive a short in-field pass, before jinking between two defenders inside the penalty area and cutting back to Alfie STANLEY on the near corner of the six-yard box, who side-stepped one challenge and evaded another to drive his shot into the far-bottom corner and register his first competitive AFC Totton goal.
A minute later, it was three-one to The Stags. Virtually from the kick-off, Totton were able to win the ball back quickly and unleash an attacking swarm on the Hanwell defence. Stanley was making progress through the centre with defenders around him, and he managed to poke the ball between them and into the area as he stumbled. Legg came racing off his line but Matty BURROWS got there first to chip the ball over him and into the centre of the goal.
Stanley was in again shortly after, with petrified defenders standing off him, but he hesitated a moment before shooting and his effort was deflected away. Ragguette’s left-wing throw was quickly converted to a corner, from which Maloney’s cross was headed out and Read’s attempted long-shot was charged down, before Rendell was pulled up for a foul.
Hanwell won a corner on their left from Sam Magri’s defensive header. From the cross, Dwayne Duncan climbed well to give himself a free header but he couldn’t direct it. Duncan had another late first-half headed opportunity from a deep free-kick, but he was flagged offside.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON 3
HANWELL TOWN 1
Matty Burrows began the second half as he had spent much of the first, causing headaches in the Hanwell defence with his right-wing trickery. He won an early corner which was taken short, then his own low cross was cleared from the ruck of Hanwell defenders in the box.
Ben Winterburn was shown the yellow card for a foul midway inside the Hanwell half. Then, Totton thought they had legitimate claims for a third penalty kick when, chasing a high looping ball between two defenders, Scott Rendell’s heels appeared to be clipped as he entered the area. The Referee waved the claims away and play continued.
A long, high diagonal from Luke Hallett brought a miss-kick from Olorunfemi that flew across his own goal and out for a Totton corner on the right. Stanley and Burrows worked it short before Burrows crossed to the far post where Magri headed back into the middle. Stanley laid it back for Kennedy, whose shot was well-saved by Legg, diving low to his right.
Burrows continued to cause problems on the wing, Rendell within a fraction of connecting with another low cross. Then, Burrows earned the praise of his home dug-out by blocking an attempted clearance, to keep Hanwell pegged back inside their own half.
On 56 minutes, Alfie Stanley came off to be replaced by Ethan Taylor. But a minute later, Hanwell put themselves back in the game, in somewhat fortuitous circumstances. As the ball was played down the middle of the pitch by a Hanwell defender, one of their midfielders went down in the centre-circle clutching his face and almost everybody stopped, except Samuel EVANS who ran onto the ball and fired into the bottom-left corner past Lewis Noice, despite Hallett’s attempt to make a last-ditch sliding tackle. Hallett injured himself in the challenge and had to be replaced by Jordan Helliwell before play could resume.
Hanwell were buoyant and tried to launch the ball into the Totton box in search of an equaliser, but the home side stood firm each time the ball came at them. Ethan Taylor fired the ball into Hanwell’s net from the left of the area but his effort was ruled out for offside. Then, Helliwell’s speed running through the middle of the pitch was too much for Hanwell skipper Calum Duffy, who earned a yellow card for bringing him down.
Lewis Noice made a clean catch from a Hanwell free-kick, as they launched the ball in once again. Then, The Stags had to defend several crosses from either flank, among which Benny Read was fortunate not to concede a penalty when he appeared to shove his man rather than play the ball, much to the ire of the Hanwell contingent.
Totton restored their two-goal advantage on 72 minutes. A low cross from the right was turned away by a combination of Olorunfemi and Abdul Seidu-Osman, whose clearance looped towards halfway, where Winterburn had to stretch to head it back to Kennedy near the centre-circle. He ran forward with the ball, took a slightly heavy touch and then slid in to force it left for Taylor. There was a collision with a Hanwell player and instant appeals for a free-kick, but the Referee waved play on. Olorunfemi initially dispossessed Taylor, but Totton’s No.10 chased his opponent down, won the second tackle and emerged with the ball at his feet at the left-wing byline with time to look up and feed Matty BURROWS for a two-yard finish that Burrows enjoyed, despite colliding with the post.
HAT-TRICK MAN: Matty Burrows bagged three goals to help AFC Totton over the line in their home Southern League Premier Division South win over Hanwell Town.
A miscommunication between Legg and Duncan gave Leon Maloney the chance to nick the ball and go round the keeper, except Duncan made an excellent late recovery to block the shot. Then, Rendell ignored being tugged to knock the ball down for Burrows to cut infield and try a left-footed curler that Legg did well to readjust, parry and take at the second attempt.
Another Rendell knock-on found Burrows on the right, and he laid it back for Winterburn to curl a cross from deep into the box which Magri met with a firm header, forcing Legg into a smart one-handed save. That prompted a short series of consecutive corners, which Duncan eventually headed clear.
With 10 minutes left, both sides made their remaining substitutions with Seidu-Osman and Carr both going off for Hanwell, to be replaced by Jack Hutchinson and Conrad Lucan. Keane Anderson came off the bench for Totton, to replace Benny Read. Jordan Helliwell shifted to right-back and Anderson joined Winterburn in central midfield, with Kennedy having slotted back into defence when Hallett went off.
Noice had to dive low to his near post to ensure a deflected cross from the Hanwell right didn’t sneak in. Then, Magri cut out a dangerous low cross from the same side. Maloney got back to defend determinedly at his right-wing byline, then Ragguette and Taylor doubling up on the left prevented the visitors finding a decent crossing angle; when the ball did eventually come in from a deeper position, Noice was able to claim it.
A well-timed but strong challenge by Ragguette outside the Totton box left Lucan worse for wear. Then, Hanwell appealed for a penalty when one of their forwards took a tumble as the ball flashed across the area, but The Referee wasn’t interested.
Nine minutes of stoppage time were indicated by the officials, and Hanwell kept coming in search of a way back into the game. Taylor headed away from one corner, then Anderson’s dogged midfield play prevented the ball coming back in. The same player was fooled by a high bounce shortly after, but managed to recover and make the telling challenge to prevent Hanwell taking advantage.
Taylor was booked for time-wasting, after kicking the ball away having conceded a free-kick deep in the Hanwell half. The Geordies hit the ball forward and it came out to the left wing. The cross was met with a diving header by Elliot BENYON at close-range, and the deficit was back down to one goal.
Hanwell launched a couple more high balls into the box, but five minutes beyond the 90, Ethan Taylor beat his opponent to a loose ball in midfield, knocked it past him and charged down a subsequent challenge to leave himself with space to attack down the left wing as Hanwell were forced to run back towards their own goal, again. Having done the hard part, he had time to get his head up as he entered the penalty area from the left corner and with a low, measured cross, he picked out Matty BURROWS arriving from the opposite corner of the box to beat Legg with a high finish at the far post.
There was a late scuffle in which Leon Maloney and Elliot Benyon both picked up yellow cards. From the resulting free-kick, Noice punched the ball clear, before the Referee eventually blew the full-time whistle.
After the match, AFC Totton Manager Jimmy Ball (pictured) said:
“I had to watch the game from the stand today, having picked up a suspension for too many yellow cards in our previous games this season. It’s never happened to me before and I don’t like being so far removed from the action, where I’m not able to directly affect things. It wasn’t enjoyable and I didn’t like it; it’s a totally different feeling for a matchday.
“Some of our attacking play was electric at times. Occasionally, we needed an extra pass or a little but of composure, but we scored some very good goals and caused enough problems to win the game comfortably. Hanwell didn’t give up, even when we might have thought we finally had them beat, so credit to them.
“Alfie Stanley has had to wait for his chance but he came in and did well, today. He took his goal well and could have had one or two more. It’s a squad game and everyone will play their part before the end of the season. Sometimes, you have to be patient and at other times, it’s a case of taking the chance that you’ve been given. But I have faith in all of these players to deliver when it matters. We have a very strong squad, the Board have backed me in allowing us to bring in the players we have, and we’ve come up with the goods again today, despite a spirited opposition team.
“It’s only two days between this one and Basingstoke away on Bank Holiday Monday. It seems like a very quick turnaround but players will tell you they would rather play matches than train, so I trust the lads to look after themselves in the right way and to be ready for Monday. We have already done some work with a few of the players to help them tick over, and I’m sure the lads will be up for that one, too.”
Latest Southern League Premier Division South table
Next Up: BASINGSTOKE TOWN vs AFC TOTTON
Southern League Premier Division South | Matchday#6 | Winklebury Football Complex, Basingstoke RG23 8BF | Monday 28 August 2023 | Kick-Off at 3:00pm.
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Inmages courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
